Chapter 1, Differentiating between Internets, Intranets, and Extranets, provides you with an understanding of what a network is, before going into the details of internets, intranets, and extranets, describing each of these in turn. The chapter also introduces a number of basic security mechanisms, including firewalls and demilitarized zones. It goes on to explain how to configure internet security zones on a Windows client.
Chapter 2, Understanding Local Area Networks, gives you an overview of what the author describes as scales of networks, defining the differences between LANs, WANs, PANs, MANs, and CANs. In this chapter, we focus on local area networking, and explain the use of IP addresses, hostnames, and MAC addresses to identify devices on a network. Following on from this, it describes the key characteristics of wired and wireless networks, before concluding with a discussion of virtual local area networks (VLANs).
Chapter 3, Understanding Wide Area Networks, introduces the concept of WANs, and explains the steps required to set up and configure a broadband connection. It goes on to discuss the various WAN technologies, including circuit switching, packet switching, frame relay, and leased lines. It looks at dial-up and takes you through the process of setting this up. The chapter also focuses on carrier standards, and looks at those in use, including ISDN, xDSL, SONET, satellite, and cellular.
Chapter 4, Understanding Wireless Networking, focuses on the ever-developing technology of wireless, specifically Wi-Fi. The chapter begins by exploring the various IEEE 802.11 standards, discussing the attributes of each, and the CSMA/CA access method. We then move on to discuss wireless topologies, before concluding the chapter by covering wireless security methods.
Chapter 5, Network Topologies – Mapping It All Out, looks at various topologies in use in modern networks, beginning with differentiating between logical and physical topologies. The chapter then moves on to cover bus, ring, star, mesh, and hybrid topologies, discussing the attributes of each.
Chapter 6, Switches and Switching – Forwarding Traffic on a Local Network, looks at how data moves around a local network. It begins by explaining the purpose of switching and how frame-forwarding decisions are made, before focusing on the use of spanning-tree protocols to combat broadcast storms. The chapter then covers the characteristics of switches, such as managed versus unmanaged, connectivity, ports, and VLANs, and finishes with a discussion of switch security.
Chapter 7, Routers and Routing – Beyond a Single Network, moves us into the realm of moving data between networks, and begins by looking at how routing decisions are made, and discusses static and default routes. The chapter then moves on to provide an overview of distance vector, link-state, and hybrid protocols. It then explains the steps required to implement routing on a Windows Server, before concluding the chapter with a discussion of network address translation and quality of service.
Chapter 8, Media Types – Connecting Everything Together, discusses the various means of physically connecting networking devices. The chapter looks at the attributes of each cable type – coaxial, twisted pair, and fiber optic – and a use case of each.
Chapter 9, Understanding the OSI Model, introduces the concept of network models before focusing on the OSI model. We take each of the seven layers of the OSI model in turn, discussing the functionality of each, and, where applicable, discuss the use of ports and highlight common protocols for the layers.
Chapter 10, Understanding TCP/IP, looks at the second of the two common network models. It provides a comparison between this and the OSI model, and explains the functionality of each layer.
Chapter 11, Understanding IPv4, discusses the most common of the addressing schemes in use today. The chapter begins by providing an overview of IPv4, in particular, the structure of an IPv4 address. It then moves on to discuss the five classes of IPv4 available, including, where appropriate, providing a distinction between public and private address ranges. Following on from this, subnet masks and their purposes are covered, before moving on to classless inter-domain routing. Finally, the chapter explains the steps in assigning IPv4 addresses to hosts.
Chapter 12, Understanding IPv6, introduces you to the successor to IPv4, namely, IPv6. An overview of IPv6 is provided, including the syntax of an IPv6 address, and the rules for representing an IPv6 address in a shortened format. The chapter then moves on to discuss the various address types and prefixes, and how IPv6 addresses are assigned. The chapter concludes by covering methods of interoperability between IPv4 and IPv6.
Chapter 13, Understanding Name Resolution, discusses the purpose of name resolution in modern networks. We cover the most prevalent method, Domain Name Service (DNS), explaining the use of fully qualified domain names, and how they link to DNS records to provide resolution. The chapter then explains how host files are used to provide a localized static name resolution methodology, before looking at the relative legacy name resolution provided by Windows Internet Name Service (WINS).
Chapter 14, Network Services, rounds up a number of common network services. The chapter begins by disusing Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), including how it operates, and explains the steps to setting this up on a server. We then move on to covering firewalls, providing differentiation between how each type of firewall operates. Next, an overview of proxy servers is provided, before we move on to remote desktop services and explain the steps for connecting to such a service. The chapter then explains the difference between active and passive file transfer protocols. Following this, the chapter covers file servers, and introduces the concepts of share and NTFS permissions. The chapter concludes by discussing print servers and domain controllers.
Chapter 15, Mock Exam 1, provides you with an opportunity to test the knowledge that you have acquired throughout this book by means of a 40-question mock exam.
Chapter 16, Mock Exam 2, provides a second mock exam of 40 questions to test your knowledge even further.